Squib operated gas release device



Feb. 5, 1957 M. A. SANDGREN SQUIB OPERATED GAS RELEASE DEVICE Filed May2, 1955 Fig' 2' 5 2/ Il f 25 T T 9 F lg- 5 ,29.

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Marv/'n A. Sandgren BVM6@ ATTORNEY United States Patent SQUIB OPERATEDGAS RELEASE DEVICE Marvin A. Sandgren, Robbinsdale, Minn., assignor, bymesne assignments, t the United States of America Application May 2,1955, Serial No. 505,568

1 Claim. (Cl. 222-5) This invention relates to a squib operated devicefor releasing fluids from containers in which they are stored underpressure. It provides a means by which lire extinguishing gases,insecticidal aerosols, toxic gases or vapors, or the like, may beeffectively released by remote control.

An object of the invention its to provide Ian explosively actuated gasrelease device in which the explosion may be made of suicient strengthto effectively actuate a puncturing member without endangering thesurroundings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through onemodification of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view corresponding to the upper portion of Fig. 1, showingthe position of the parts after the explosion has taken place andshowing the flow of the gases.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line 4--4 of Fig. l.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section taken of a second modication.

The modication of Figures 1-4 will now be described.

The device includes a cylindrical body member 1 which is closed at itslower end by screw plug 3, having a gasket 4, :and at its upper end by ascrew cap 5, which is provided with a gasket 7. The body member 1 isprovided in its lower portion with a main cavity 9 and in its upperportion with a bore 11. The two `are connected by dart opening 13. Thelower portion of bore 11 is tapered as shown at 15. The degree of taperis somewhat exaggerated in the drawing for clarity.

Within the cavity 9 is a gas cylinder 17 containing gas, volatileliquid, or a mixture of gas and liquid under pressure. Within bore 11 isa dart 19 having an enlarged point 20 and head 21. The latter has asliding lit in the upper untapered portion of the bore. In the uppermostportion of bore 11 is electric squib 23.

Radial ydischarge passages 25 communicate with cavity 9. Explosive gasoutlets 27 communicate with bore 11 and are so positioned that they arecovered by dart head 21 in its initial position. The dart is normallyheld in the position shown in Fig. 1 by squib 23 and the taper 15.

When electric squib 23 is exploded the dart 19 is driven downwardly sothat the enlarged point 20 passes through the top of cylinder 17,allowing gas to escape through discharge passages 25. When thel dartmoves downwardly, it uncovers explosive gas outlets 27, as shown in Fig.2, 'allowing the explosive gas to escape without dan- ICC ger ofrupturing body member 1. At the same time, dart head 21 is jammed intotapered portion 15 of bore 11, stopping the dart.

A second modification is shown in Fig. 5. This modification comprises abody member 101 having at its lower end a closure 103 which may or maynot be removable. Body member 101 is also provided with a screw cap 105on its upper end and has a cavity 109 extending from the screw cap tothe closure. Within cavity 109 are gas cylinder 111 and gun 113. Spacerengages the cylinder Iand gun and holds them in the proper positions,being provided with recesses 117 and 119 which receive the cylinder endand the gun respectively. Spacer 115 also is formed with a central dartopening 4. It is also provided with outlet passages 123 whichcommunicate with dart opening 121 and with holes 125 formed in bodymember 101.

Gun 113 comprises a barrel 127 and 'a squib chamber 129 in which ismounted an electric squib 131. At the lower end of the gun is a reducedbore 133. A dart tits in this reduced bore suiciently tightly tonormally hold it in position.

When squib 131 is exploded, dart 135 is blown from bore 133 and passescompletely through the upper end of cylinder 111. Both the explosivegases and the gas in the cylinder then escape through outlet passages123.

While I have used the words upper 'and lower for convenience indescribing the vdevice with relation to the drawings, it will beunderstood that it may be used in any position. It will also beunderstood that various modications are possible. I therefore wish myinvention to be limited solely by the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A squib operated discharge device comprising a body member, a cavity insaid body member, a container filled with lan expansibl-e uid underpressure positioned in said cavity, a bore in said body member in openalignment with said container, a dart in said bore having an enlargedpoint adapted to pierce said container and an enlarged head having asliding t in said bore, an explosive squib in said bore adapted to drivesaid point through the wall of said container, at least one dischargepassage communicating with said bore, means normally holding said dartin such :a position that said dart head closes 4an explosive gas outlet,said bore and said dart being so proportioned that when said point haspierced the wall of said container said head uncovers said gas outlet,said bore comprising a cylindrical portion and a tapered portion, saidtapered portion being at the end adjacent said container, said dartbeing normally positioned with its head in said cylindrical portion andhaving a sliding iit therein, said tapered portion being so proportionedthat said squib may drive said head into said tapered portionsufficiently to uncover said explosive gas outlet and that said dartwill then be stopped.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,120,248 Hinchman .lune 14, 1938 2,414,911 Temple Jan. 28, 19472,478,958 Wheeler et al. Aug. 16, 1949 2,673,004 Knapp Mar. 23, 1950

